Ethos ! (or why should I listen to you?)

Three Categories of ethos

• phronesis - practical skills & wisdom

• arete - virtue, goodness (disinterest)

• eunoia -goodwill towards the audience

Phronesis

Convincing an audience that your are average, plain-spoken, and similar to them. You demonstrate that you

are capable of applying good sense to a problem, not just education and knowledge.

Phronesis

This moment in American history demands honesty and leadership. Ultimately we are all in this together. By working together, we can restore optimism in the

business community and grow this economy by controlling spending and enacting common sense

reforms.

John King -- Republican Member of Congress

Phronesis

"It was a highly inconvenient thing for them in our debates that I was just a country boy from Arkansas and I

came from a place where people still thought two and two was four."

(Bill Clinton, speech at the Democratic National Convention, 2012)

Arete

The Greeks would have thought of this as moral excellence (i.e someone who is virtuous and honest), but now it can

mean any kind of excellence (knowledge, experience, skill). !!

AreteBut for those making more than $1 million — there were

236,883 such households in 2009 — I would raise rates immediately on taxable income in excess of $1 million, including, of course, dividends and capital gains. And for

those who make $10 million or more — there were 8,274 in 2009 — I would suggest an additional increase in rate.

!My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a

billionaire-friendly Congress. It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice.

!Warren Buffett

Arete

Eunoia

Demonstrating that you have good will, positive feelings and a genuine desire for your audience’s well-being.

EunoiaAnd I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's take-off. I know it's hard to understand, but

sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a

chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The

Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.

!Ronald Reagan

The Space Shuttle "Challenger" Tragedy Address delivered 28 January 1986

Eunoia

If you could master one element of personal communications that is

more powerful than anything we’ve discussed, it is the quality of being likeable. I call it the magic bullet,

because if your audience likes you, they’ll forgive just about anything

else you do wrong. If they don’t like you, you can hit every rule on target

and it doesn’t matter. !

--Roger Ailes

Jonathan Haidt

pronounced “Height”

Values

Care/Harm Fairness/Cheating

Liberty/ Oppression

Loyalty/ Betrayal

Authority/ Subversion

Sanctity/ Degradation

Liberals Conservatives

Dog Whistling

Using references that a general audience believes are innocuous but that

signal certain groups that you are one of them.

Dog Whistling

Mitt Romney, not one of us. !

--Ad from President Obama

Dog Whistling

"We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage, ...The White House

didn't fully appreciate the shared history we have."

!--Aide to Gov. Romney

Invoking an audience’s identity

Reminding the audience of a

particular role or membership.

Possible Roles Parent/Child

American/Nationalistic Occupation

The “Good” Side Male/Female

Age Education

Knowledgeable

Final thoughts

"According to Aristotle, rhetors can invent a character suitable to an occasion--this is invented ethos. However, if rhetors are fortunate

enough to enjoy a good reputation in the community, they can use it as

an ethical proof--this is situated ethos."

!(Sharon Crowley and Debra

Hawhee)